Emergency-knuckle for car-couplings.



EMEEGE UATIOH' FILED AUG. 14, 101'.

Patented June 9, 19.

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MICHAEL H. LONG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ilfiSlGiNOlEu O]? ONE-HALF 'ltl Mtflililllilalil' K. BARNUM, OF? LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS.

ELEIIERGrEliI'Ulf-TKNUCKLE FUR CAE-CUUPLTNQS.

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Application filed August 1.45, 155153.

2". all "who/n it may; concern lie it known that. l, hilionnne ll. Lone, citizen of the United States, reeaiding at Chicago, in the county of (look and State of lllinois, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Emergency- Knuckles for Car-Couplings, 01 which the following is a full, clear concise. and exact description.

My invention relates to an emergency knuckle for car-couplings.

One of its ohjects'is to provide a, knuckle adapted to lit the draw-haiof any of the Master Car-lluilders"type of couplers.

Another object of my invention is to provido an improved emergency-kinickle which. when used to replace a standard knuckle. will hold the parts of the coupler in their usual positions. and thus provide the usual clearance space between the ends of the car. My invention thereby overcomes one ot the chiet objections to the type of emergencykuuckles in common use in which there too much slack provided hetween the coupled cars. rendering it dangerous to pass from one car to the other. My invention, "more oven in providing means for holding the draw-heads in the usual relative positions makes it possible. to couple up the air-h rake hose. without the use of an extension or dummy hose.

Another object. of my invention is to provide a. knuckle- Which can quickly and readily be substituted tor the knuckle of the Blaster Car-Builders type of coupler, and ,whiclngvhen so substituted. permits the coupling to he i'nade 'liron'i one side of the car in the usual manner Without necessitating the hrakenian going between the cars to etfeet the coupling.

A further ohject of my invention is to provide an en'iergency-knuckle of simple co'nstructii'ni, light. in Weight, and which rt quires no tools in its application.

My invention con of a knuckle in which the neual tail piece is omitted and in which a rih is provided on the side of the aup 'iort-in lug apnroximately opposite to the knuckle-hcad. such rih being adapted to engage with the traiiaveruely extending forward end or edge of the side Wall Of the coupler head and thus to hold the knuckle against rotation. Except for the omission of the tail piece and the provision of said Specification of Letters Patent.

patented Jtune 9., 1914 Serial No. twee-a.

riln the knuckle may he of the usual eon figuration.

My invention may he more readily understood by reference to the, nccon'inanying drawings. in which a Figure l is a. plan view of two intercouplcd couplers. one of which is provided with the usual knuckle, and the other of which is provided with the cn'iergencylnnickle of my inventioin one of the supporting ears of the coupler head being broken away to more .lully disclose the invention; and Fig. 2 is a PQLSIWCllYG view of the knuckle of my in vention.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts in both of the figures of the draw- 111;,1'5.

"l he coupler head 1 is shown as provided with a knuckle 2 pivoted between the ears 3 of the draw-liar in the usual manner. This knuckle. being of a common. Well-known conntruction. requires no further description of its mode of attachment and operation. The similar draw-liar -iis shown as having my emcrgcncy-knuckle pivoted between the ears 5 thereof. Such knuckle comprises a lnnickle-head ti, a supporting lug 7 adapted to tit between the ears 5 oi. the coupler head and provided with an opening for receiving the pin 8 by which the knuckle is attached to the draw-head. The side of the supporting lug approximately opposite the. knucklehead (3 is provided with a rib or shoulder 9 which. when the knuckleis secured in place, abuts against, the forward end 1t) of the side wall of the coupler head on the knuckle side thereof and thus holda the knuckle against rotation. It will he ohserved that the emergency-knuekle not. provided with the usual tail piece. The side of the supporting lug from which Raid tail piece normally projects may he somewhat thickened at. ll in order to strengthen the knuckle.

it will thus he observed that. the emen gene'y-knuclde of my invention is, by reason of its very Structure, securely and rigidly held in place without the help and irrespective oi the usual locking device; and it. will also he observed that my en'iergency knuckle, heinp; deaigncd tohe locked against outward rotation by engaging a wall of the coupler lnad within the perimeter or horizontally projected area of the head, need have no parts extending outside of the. Maeter Cat Builders standard. contour lines for car i coupieis, thus perinittin a coupler employ- V emerg ncy knuckle to eilect a coupling wiih any other coupler whose contour conform to the "ter Car Builders stancarz'ls. In case therefore, one of the knuckles in ordinary use becomes broken, or in owe the locking cleric cl *1 inefi'ectire, such ordinar moved and. my einerg tuted therefor without device, it being necessar merely to drop the pin 8 through the aliiied openings in the ears of the draw-head and. the supporting lug of the emergency-knuckle. sary in order to couple two cars together, to have only one of the knuckles rotate upon its pivot the locking device for the knuckle oi the opposite coupler can be operated to permit of the knuckle 2 coupling with the knuckle-head 6 in the usual manner. It is thus po; ible to couple the two cars together in precisely the same manner as is usually y-knuckle substidone, that from the side of the cars and n the cars are so coupled, they are held .1 the usual ainount of clearance between then}.

tnuckle, unlike others in fit any Zeatw CanBuild- -bar. filly iner- 'ke others in common use, emoving the locking me other types inon use hold lo a '-brake hose use of extenpass from In contrat stinction 1. An nack or car couplers thereto my sinergcncy-knuckle holus the cars e't'or becomes 1 knuckle can he re 'd to the lockin of the type indicated, said knuckle being provided with a supporting lug which is adapted to be secured between the ears of a coupler-head and being formed with a shoulder which is adapted to engage the for' ward transversely extending end of the side wall of the coupler-head between said ears, to thereby maintain said knuckle in closed relation with the coupler-head and prevent outward rotation of said knuckle.

2. An emergency knuckle for car couplers of the type indicated, said knuckle being provided with means whereby it may he se- Since it is necescared to a coupler-head that is provided with ears for receiving a pivot pin, and being also provided with laterally projecting means integrally attached thereto and adapted to engage the. forward transversely extending end of the side wall of a coupler-head between the pivot pin ears thereof, to thereby prevent said knuckle from turning outwardly to open position.

3. An emergency knuckle for car couplers of the type indicated, said knuckle being provided with a portion adapted to be connected to a coupler-head and being also adapted to engage the cou' ler-head to prevvent vertical movement of the knuckle, and

said knuckle being alst formed with a face which is adapted to engage a wall of the coupler-head on. the knuckle side thereof to prevent said knuckle from rotating outwardly to open position said face being adapted to engage said wall of the couplerliead within the horizontal projection of the coupler-head.

In witness whereof, I, hereunto subscribe my name this second day of August, A. 1).,

4 MICHAEL H. LONG Witnesses ALFRED H. MOORE, GEORGE E. FOLK. 

